We are going to Africa shortly - we've booked our safari with Go2Africa, an online safari outfit and they seem to have done a great job. I'm a bit concerned about flying in small planes, but they have booked a transfer to the Kruger camp with a private air charter company. Has anyone experienced this and do I have anything to fear????

There are always people who have a fear of flying whether in a jumbo jet or a small puddle-hopper.

For transport in/around countries in Africa, many flights are on small planes holding from 4 to 40/passengers. Those going direct to a particular camp in Kruger, are the small ones. Can be 4/seater or 12/seater. These are as safe as any plane can be. We rarely hear of accidents (which, if they happen, are reported in the papers).

I console myself with the fact that a small plane can land on a roadway... can't see a 767 easily doing that.

Alternative would be to rent a car and do the 5/hr drive, then park the vehicle for time while in Kruger, then drive back to JNB.

We just came back from a trip to Southern Africa. Took 6 small charter flights. No problem.

Small planes are a common means of transport for safaris in Southern Africa. They operate just like taxis and are used often. I have taken many small planes with no problem and I am not a daredevil. Don't worry about it, but take along a few Pepto Bismal tablets if you are concerned about feeling woozy.

Occasionally, turbulence can be more of an issue in small planes, but in general I think they're lots more fun -- you can really see the country you're flying over.

I was fortunate to have a relative that owned a plane and was flying before i had my first car. Small planes have always been my preference. Sure there are times when its alittle bumpy but thats just the air currents and what a view!
enjoy the flight, relax and have fun.

Unless you're a very nervous flyer, the samll planes are really not bad. The transfers are usually quite quick. We had a great transfer with a samall airline called Chili Pepper. Unfortunately, we also had a nightmare with an airline called Nelair - I've never come that close to dying before. I'll never fly on them again.

We took a number of small flights in Botswana. I don't really like to fly and was really nervous beforehand, but all was fine. I actually enjoyed looking out the window.

We did meet up with a few that got very airsick in the small planes. I get car/sea sick and didn't have a problem, but we didn't have particularily turbulent flights.

ForgotMyNameAgain, what was your experience with Nelair? I think this may have been the airline that my friend was on when the pilot landed at JNB with the wheels up. She was glad she had listened to the instructions about opening the door!

I don't like flying myself, and avoided a safari with lots of internal flights just because I was worried about the small planes.

We did have one transfer on a small plane, and it was much less scary than I expected. Actually, the take-off was even less scary than on a jumbo jet, because the plane lifted off quickly and easily, and I didn't sit there wondering if it was going to make it!

Also, someone explained to me that my perception of small plane danger statistics was probably skewed by the fact that amateur flyers crash quite a bit, but professionals have a better safety record.

Am I still scared? Yes, but not as bad as before.